A Study on Social Relationship of Housing Types for Social Health of the ElderlyLee, Yeun-Sook; Youn, Ga-Young; Chang, Jae-woo; Ahn, Chang-Houn;

Abstract

Rapidly aging society extends the span of aged life of the elderly people longer than before and this trend raises the issue of holistic health of the aged including their physical, psychological and social health making it necessary to study for environmental development to support this trend. This study intends to explore the direction of residential planning to support the deterioration phenomenon of social networks due to aging. Social networks here are treated as basic conditions for social health. This study researched the diverse types of elderly housings in preparation for the aged society and their spatial characteristics, social affordance characteristics and their potentials for social interactions from the viewpoint of their social relations. literature studies with contents analysis method was used. The results of this study were arranged primarily according to the characteristics of social relations by types of housings. Socially integrated types of housings can be found as inclusive housing type as they have both social characteristics that can be found in houses in general and the elderly housings, they should be considered as desirable types in Korea where collective houses are most popular. Form the existing housing plans housing plan direction should move toward socially integrated housing plans that can protect the elderly people collectively and the direction of housing plans here means the direction from more macro-perspective viewpoint. Therefore, the results of this study are meaningful in adding interpretation from the viewpoint of social relations respective housings and promoting housings for the elderly people more desirably.